Burn to Shine
by par-ic
Summary: Sometimes it takes a little burning for another thing to shine. W/T and CWR.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since I've written anything at all, but I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. School has been hectic for the last couple of weeks and I've been too busy to write. I'm not sure if I'll be back for good, but at least I got something up. I hope you enjoy this.

Summary: Sometimes it takes a little burning for another thing to shine.

No beta this time, this should be interesting. I got the idea for this from watching "My Best Laid Plans" (a Scrubs Episode) and the song Closer by Joshua Radin.

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**Burn to Shine**

_Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry_

A dark colored man exited the building of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, his head hung and shoulders slumped. He had just spent the last 48 hours working non-stop to close the latest serial case. Things would have been fine—he had done it before—if it were not for the woman calling his phone every two hours. Explaining himself only to be yelled at repeatedly could easily exhaust a man.

The dark blue of the night filled every speck of air while the man made it to his car. Just as he opened the door and lowered his head to sit in the seat, his phone rang again. After pulling it from his pocket and placing it to his ear, a shrill voice filled his head.

"Warrick! Where are you? You said you would be home by now!"

"I'm leaving the lab right now, Tina. I'll be home in ten minutes," his tired voice smooth compared to her jagged yell.

As Warrick drove down the familiar roads, he couldn't help but ask himself why he put up with her. However, the only reason he could think of was Nick. After the recent kidnapping and almost murder, Warrick couldn't help but realized how short life actually was. How his life could end in the blink of an eye. And how he hadn't done anything that would allow him to reach the point of death without regrets. That scared him the most. Although he had felt selfish about it, he had asked his girlfriend at the time, Tina, to marry him. That way he had at least done something with his life. But why had it been her? Why not someone else? Someone he had known longer? What about the one he really loved?

Warrick had barely noticed, but he had made it into his driveway. The door of his home stood before him; mocking him. He knew that if he waited much longer it would only extend the fighting that was to come. Warrick stepped out of his car and up to the front door. Before he was able to remove his keys from his pocket, the door opened, revealing Tina in her pajamas and a darkened room behind her.

"Hi," Warrick breathed. Tina's scowl melted off her face.

"Hey," she responded, moving out of the way. Warrick walked into their home and plopped onto the couch. He had just laid his head backwards and closed his eyes when Tina sat down and curled into his side. He had to force himself to place his arm around her shoulders, but she would never know that.

"How was work?" Her questions prodded him when all he wanted to do was sleep. This routine was becoming old, and they had only been at it for a few months.

"Long," he answered, knowing this conversation was going to end up in a higher octave then when it started.

"You didn't answer your phone very much," she commented.

"I was working."

"Hmm," she mumbled against his chest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Warrick asked, knowing the exact reaction he was going to get.

"I've seen you answer your phone at work before. A "Catherine" I think it was," she answered with a smidge of anger in her voice.

Warrick's eyes widened; that was not the typical response.

He felt her weight lift from his chest as Tina turned on the lamp next to the couch. She never leaned back into him. Now that the room was illuminated, the real fighting would begin.

"Catherine is my partner, what do you expect?" he asked, his voice rising.

"But she's not your wife!" Tina's voice now matched the volume of his.

"There's not much I can do about that now!" Warrick hit pause. That comment had come out of nowhere. He had no idea what it had meant or why he had even said it.

"What?" Tina asked, her voice dropping. Warrick shook his head.

"I don't know," his voice was barely above a whisper.

"You know what you meant!" Tina said, rising from the couch. Warrick mimicked her move a second before the shrill beep of his phone rang though the room. Warrick grabbed it out of his pocket; he was really beginning to hate that piece of technology.

"What, Catherine!" he yelled into the mouthpiece. The sudden anger towards the woman had also come out of nowhere. Instantly he regretted it when he heard her sob riddled words.

"I-I ca-can't find her-r R-Rick."

"Can't find who, Cath?" Warrick asked, worry etched into his face. He ignored Tina as she yelled at him. Warrick walked out of the room as he listened.

"L-Lindsey," Catherine said, her voice seeming to steady slightly.

"I'm on my way," Warrick reassured her as he grabbed his keys and ran out the door. "And Cath, don't worry, we are gonna find her."

Warrick pulled up to Catherine's house as the blond ran out of the door. He jumped out of his car and engulfed the slender woman in a bear hug. Catherine was the first to pull back.

"She wasn't here when I got home, and she won't answer her cell." Catherine rambled on about how it was her fault she wasn't home enough.

"No, Cath, it's not your fault. Let's go look for her," he cut her off as he ushered her to the passenger side of the car.

The two had driven up and down every street they could think of, and just when they were about to lose hope, Catherine got a phone call.

"Lindsey!" she exclaimed as Warrick pulled over and listened to mother and daughter exchange words. His own phone rang out, and with one look at the caller ID, he hit the IGNORE button.

"Don't let me be accountable for that," she said with a smile, pointing to his phone.

"Naw, don't worry about it, it's just Tina," he answered, turning his head to look at her. His eyes caught on her blue ones, and then he realized how much he preferred blue to the brown of Tina's eyes. He then realized why Catherine had been so upset upon knowing Warrick was married.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. Catherine frowned.

"For what? Lindsey just called, she's at the house." Warrick leaned over, and brushed away the last stay tears from her porcelain cheeks. He had shocked the both of them silent. After a few moments of the two staring at each other, Warrick broke the silence and removed his hand.

"For marrying Tina and wrecking our friendship." Catherine looked away from Warrick and stared out the window. Warrick looked back towards the front, focusing on getting the car out of park and back on the road. Fifteen minutes went by silently until Catherine spoke again.

"I interrupted a fight, didn't I?"she asked. Warrick nodded. "You guys sure do that a lot. It's like Eddie and I all over again."

"Yeah." Warrick answered, the awkwardness slowly draining as they pulled up to Catherine's house.

"You want to come in? You can stay on my couch if you don't want to go back to Tina tonight." Catherine offered shyly.

"Sure," Warrick said, glad he did not have to face his wife again before he had the chance to sleep.

Inside, Warrick sat down on the sofa while Catherine checked on Lindsey, who had gone to sleep. Soon he felt motion next to him and opened his eyes. Catherine had sat down with him. He subconsciously placed his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

"We've never been just friends, Rick," Catherine pointed out.

"I know," Warrick responded as Catherine leaned her head against his chest.

To Be Continued...

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Please drop a review. I've just gotten knocked down a notch in my How-well-I-think-I-write scale from something that happened school, so feedback helps.


	2. Chapter 2

It's a bit shorter this time. Sorry about that. Still getting back into the swing of things. The poem in the beginning is actually the chorus of Closer by Joshua Radin. It's there to serve as a reminder of my inspiration for this story. Thanks for the many reviews I have received. I've been trying to reply to all of them, but it's hard when no one signs in when they leave them. Anyways, school was better today. Enjoy the chapter. Again, no beta.

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**Burn to Shine**

_Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry_

Warrick Brown awoke the next morning to the sound of a far off alarm clock. At first, he was unaware of his surroundings. As he wiped the sleep from his eyes, he remembered last night's events. He removed an old quilt from on top of him and sat up on the couch, looking around. He fell asleep just after six in the morning, with Catherine snuggled next to him. She had evidently retired to her own bed soon after.

Warrick wasn't sure what he should make of his words and actions towards his female co-worker. Deciding it was too soon to think about it any further, he picked up his phone, getting the time and dozens of missed calls. A few were from his supervisor, Grissom, but most were from his wife. Figuring that Tina had screamed on each of the many voicemails, he chose to ignore them for now. He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. In an attempt to be a good houseguest, Warrick started a pot of coffee.

Soon after he had begun to drink his first cup, a beautiful blond began her decent down the stairs. From his vantage point, Warrick watched her; unsure of what to say when she finally approached him. Although, he didn't have much time to think. As soon as she was down the stairs, Warrick saw Catherine jump at the sight of him.

"Warrick, I've been scared enough in the last twenty-four hours by my daughter, don't you start doing it too," she said with a smile.

"I'm sorry," Warrick grinned back. The smile didn't leave either of their faces, as they stood there frozen until Catherine maneuvered around him for access to the coffee pot.

Warrick wasn't sure what he could have said, so he sat down at Catherine's table and pulled out is phone. He knew Catherine could hear the screams coming from Tina's recorded voice as soon as they had begun. AS he listened to the messages in the opposite order of when he received them, a worried look became plastered on his face.

"I should have called her," he said aloud to no one. Catherine sat in the chair besides him, clutching her mug.

"Probably," she admitted. Warrick sighed and pressed the redial button, placing the phone to his ear.

"Hi, Babe," he greeted his wife, attempting to start on her good side.

"Hi," she paused, "Why didn't you come home? Did you find your friend's kid?" her voice had stayed level.

"Yeah, turns out it was a mistake. Lindsey's phone got wet and stopped working, but she never told anyone," Warrick explained, leaving the fact Tina would hate until the very last possible second.

"But you never came home; you had me so worried, Warrick. Sorry about the voicemails." Her tone radiated the sincerity of the apology.

Warrick looked up from his cup to find that Catherine was nowhere to be found.

"Don't worry about it. It was late and I didn't want to wake you. Besides, if I drove even one more mile I would have passed out from lack of sleep. So I stayed on Catherine's couch," he grimaced, waiting for the explosion. Nothing came. Tina had hung up. Warrick shook his head and opened a new text message:

**Sorry. I'll go to work from here. There are extra clothes in my locker. Love you, Warrick.**

As he sent it, Catherine appeared in the doorway.

"We have a couple of hours before work—it's only four—so feel free to shower or eat anything you can find," Catherine looked straight into his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same. "We should talk later."

Her words snapped him from his daze, and instantly Warrick became aware of his surroundings. His eyes started at her semi-disheveled hair, moving down to her white tank top and light blue pajama bottoms, down to the slippers she wore on her feet. He felt his breath catch in his throat and had to look away to make sure she did not notice his staring. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough, but Catherine only smiled at him, seeming to be aware of his conflicting emotions.

"I think I'll take that shower now."

A few hours later at his scene, Warrick walked around the body of a young tourist, snapping photographs while Nick Stokes bagged and tagged pieces of evidence.

"So how's the wife?" Nick asked. Warrick knew that was going to come up eventually.

"I don't know man, I mean, at first I thought this was a good thing, but now I'm not so sure," he answered. Nick looked at him incredulously.

"What do you mean?" the Texan asked as he doubled back towards evidence he had missed the first time around.

"Things are different. I'm constantly being yelled at for working late, working with Catherine, everything! Hell, I even crashed on her couch last night."

"Wait, whose couch?" Nick had a confused look on his face.

"Catherine's," Warrick looked up at his friend, "Oh and now I'm catching myself thinking about Catherine in ways I should only be thinking about my wife."

Nick had been shocked speechless, even Warrick was surprised by his confession, "Maybe we should just talk after shift."

"Hmm," Nick agreed before the two returned to working in silence.

Back at the lab, Warrick was finding it hard to concentrate. Finally deciding to take a break, he jumped into the car and drove towards Tina's place of work; the hospital.

The nurses smiled at him kindly as he walked through the sterile halls to her office. He had been feeling horrible about his wandering thoughts, and figured seeing Tina would help wrap his mind around things.

He stopped at her door and knocked lightly on her door, then walked in. Tina was seated at her desk, bent over unfinished paperwork.

"Hey," Warrick said, his voice low and gentle. The curly haired brunette raised her head and broke out the biggest smile. She stood up and walked towards Warrick, who was still in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" she asked kindly. Warrick didn't answer, instead he put his arm around her waist, drawing her closer, then placed his lips on hers.

_To Be Continued…_

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Drop a review, it helps me post new chapters faster.


	3. Chapter 3

_It's been way too long since I've updated this._

_Beta: LLk_

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Burn to Shine

Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry

Warrick left the hospital with a strange cloud of emotions hanging over his head. He loved his wife, or at least he thought he did. However, if he did, then why were his feelings for Catherine coming out in the open? Maybe it was for the same reasoning Catherine had given him a few months back.

"_You know the thing that makes a fantasy great, is the possibility that it might come true. And when you lose that possibility… it just kind of sucks."_

_  
_Because once you can't have something, that's when you want it the most. As Warrick drove back to the lab, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. He knew he loved Tina. Otherwise, he would not have married her. However, was it possible to love two women, to different degrees?

There was only a couple hours left on shift, and he had no idea how far Nick had gotten on the case. He called Nick as he got closer.

"Hey. I'll be there in a minute. I needed to get away for a little while," he paused while Nick responded, "No, I'm fine."

Warrick hung up just as he pulled into the parking lot. He quickly made his way through the front door and found Nick in the layout room.

"Hey, buddy. Where'va been?" Nick asked, looking up from his collection of evidence. Warrick smiled inwardly at his friend's optimism.

"With Tina," Warrick answered. He watched Nick's features twist into confusion as he made the realization. Warrick never left work to visit his wife. Warrick attempted to change the topic of the conversation, "So, how far have you gotten?"

--

A few hours later, Warrick sat in the bar stool with the Texan beside him. Warrick kept his head down, staring at the small glass filled with alcohol. He'd never been this reluctant to talk to his best friend, Nick had always been there for him. _But so has Catherine, _he reminded himself. Warrick sighed and brought the drink to his lips. After swallowing the bitter liquid, he turned towards Nick.

"I don't know what's going on with me anymore, man," he let out another deep breath. Nick turned around to face him.

"You've gotta tell me what's going on if you want my help," Nick stated.

"I'm starting to have stronger feelings for Catherine," Warrick responded bluntly, "And I kinda already told her."

"Oh," Nick responded as he took another sip from his glass. "What about Tina?"

"Let's just say we're fighting more than we're loving."

"Well, you love Tina, right?" Nick asked. Warrick nodded. "Do you love Catherine?"

"I have for a long time, man," Warrick explained, realizing just how big a mess he had gotten himself into.

"Then why did you marry Tina?" Warrick wasn't shocked by his friend's question, it had been replaying in his head ever since he had left Catherine's house.

"Ever since you were nearly killed,"--Nick tensed up--"I've been thinking how short life way and how I hadn't done anything worth doing. Don't get me wrong, I like my life, but I think I just wanted something more…permanent. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, I've been feeling the same way. I know my job and the people I consider family--you guys--are always going to be there. I just want someone who can stand by me at anytime."

Warrick chuckled briefly, "I guess that's who I thought Tina could be. I was wrong."

"Do you think Catherine could be that?" Nick asked.

Warrick didn't answer right way, instead he turned and motioned for the bartender to bring another round of drinks. The more he thought about it, the more he could see himself being with Catherine in that way. Her past situation with Eddie may keep her from jumping in too quickly, but he didn't mind; they could take things as slow as they needed to go.

"Maybe she could. I mean if she wanted too. Eddie hurt her pretty badly," Warrick stated. Nick smiled at the young, pretty bartender then turned to Warrick.

"So have all the other men she's been with, but you have always been there," Nick reminded him. Warrick looked down at his hands, and a thought he had always pushed to the back of his mind resurfaced. This time, it didn't seem like such a horrible idea.

"What?" Nick asked after Warrick looked up with hopeful eyes.

"I don't know about Catherine, but I sure know what to do about Tina," The first name came out sweet, but the last held a hint of disgust that even Warrick noticed in his voice.

"Thanks, Nick," he said standing up. You've been a big help."

"No problem, I'm just sorry I caused all this trouble," Nick responded. Warrick stopped pulling his wallet from his pocket.

"It's not your fault. None of this is because of you," he said firmly, never breaking eye contact with his friend. Nick nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you later, tomorrow's your day off right?"

"Yep, Cath's too," a smile broke out on Warrick's face. Nick laughed as they both placed money on the bar to cover their tab.

On the way home Warrick couldn't stop himself from smiling. He finally knew what was going to solve all of his problems, but he couldn't help but think of the many consequences that could follow.

He noticed the light on in the living room window as he pulled into the driveway. What he didn't realize was another car parked on the side of the street. Warrick walked up to the doorway, confident on just how to approach Tina with his new found plan. He unlocked the door and let himself into his house. Just as he set his keys down he realized Tina wasn't alone in the living room.

"What are you doing here?" Warrick asked.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

_Aparently, I never put this up. Which is odd, because I'm writing the 5th chapter already. Anyways, I'm not sure if I ever got it betaed, so any mistakes are mine._

_If betaed at all it was LLK._

**Burn to Shine**

_Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry_

"I…um," Catherine struggled to find her words. Tina looked up, a smug look on her face.

"I asked Ms. Willows to come over and have a little chat. You know, woman to woman," She explained, tucking a piece of her curly hair behind her ear.

Warrick looked back and forth from his wife to Catherine, his newfound confidence had flown out the window. He walked over to the recliner between the two women and sank into it. Warrick was only slightly relieved that it wasn't Catherine who wanted to talk to Tina, but the other way around.

"We were just discussing about how there is nothing going on between you and I. That we are simply partners through the Crime Lab," Catherine told Warrick, trying to ease his apprehension. "And I was just leaving."

Warrick looked at his wife, confusion written on his face. Tina simply shrugged. As Catherine stood, so did he.

"Can I talk to you for a second before you go?" he asked. He could feel Tina's scowl.

"Sure," Catherine responded, grabbing her purse and walking towards the door. The two walked in silence to Catherine's car. Warrick knew Tina was watching them from the door, but he waited until they were out of her ear shot.

"What the hell?" Warrick asked as they stood near Catherine's car.

"What was I supposed to do, Rick? She called me and demanded that she speak to me," Catherine answered, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm not mad at you," Warrick said after a few seconds of silence. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have come over; I could have made up some excuse," Catherine began to ramble.

"It's fine, trust me, this is all going to be over soon. I promise. Now go home before Lindsey gets worried."

Catherine raised her eyebrow at him, but got into the car and rolled down the window. "Oh, she knows where I am, and she thinks I'm crazy for being here."

"Go home," Warrick said kindly. Catherine smiled and drove off. Quickly, Warrick walked back to his house.

Inside he found Tina cleaning up two mugs of untouched coffee.

"I want a divorce," Warrick said bluntly, not at all shocked when Tina dropped the mugs, which shattered as they hit the ground.

"What?" she said incredulously, falling back into the couch. Warrick returned to his recliner.

"You don't trust me Tina. I can't take it anymore," Warrick continued. Tina looked up at him, with tears in her light brown eyes.

"I do trust you!" she defended herself.

"Then why in the world did you bring Catherine here?" Warrick asked, his voice raising slightly.

"It's her I don't trust!" Tina shouted. Warrick brought his voice back down.

"Sure. You hate my hours, I get calls from you at all hours of the night, we fight as soon as I get home." All of these reasons seemed minuscule compared to what Warrick said next.

"And on top of all that, I'm pretty sure you're cheating on me."

Tina opened her mouth to protest, but closed it, thinking for a moment. "How did you find out?" she asked.

"I found a positive pregnancy test in the trash. We haven't slept together in a month," Warrick explained sadly. "How far along are you?"

"A about a week and a half," she answered, her head hung low.

"I'll bring by the paperwork sometime late tomorrow," Warrick said, standing up.

"Wait!" Tina called out as he walked towards the back of the house. Warrick turned around. "Did you cheat on me with her?"

Warrick shook his head and continued on his quest to pack his things. After a few minutes he came back into the living room, finding a crying Tina curled on the couch. At the sound of his footsteps she sat up.

"I only did it because I thought you were with her," she explained. Warrick shook his head.

"You should have just trusted me. I'll get the rest of my stuff later." And with that said, Warrick walked out the door.

After getting the car started, Warrick realized he didn't have a place to go. He couldn't bring himself to go to Catherine's. Whether it was because she had been there, or because he had just left his wife, Warrick didn't know. Instead he pulled out of the driveway and headed the opposite direction.

Warrick pulled out his phone and hit a number on speed-dial.

"Hey, Nick? Would you mind if I spent the next few nights on your couch?"

To Be Continued…

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	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry this took so long. My apologies. ... Not much else to say, other than this chapter is really short. School sucks. (It's taking away from my writing.) _

_Enjoy!_

_Beta: LLK (The Always Ah-mazing!)_

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Burn to Shine

Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry

Warrick knocked on the Texan's door, his head pounding from all the thinking he had done on the drive over. Quickly the door was opened, revealing a tired looking Nick.

"Thanks for letting me crash here," Warrick said as Nick let him in.

"No problem," he responded, eyeing the bag in his hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not tonight," Warrick answered, setting his things by the door and falling onto the couch. Nick rubbed his eyes and grabbed a pillow from the nearby closet, throwing it at Warrick. He easily caught it, and then placed it behind his head.

After Nick had disappeared into his bedroom, Warrick drifted off to sleep.

-

Warrick was sitting in a hard metal chair in the middle of a bare room. Besides him an another, empty, chair, a small metal table was positioned between them. It reminded him of the interrogation rooms. Suddenly a one way glass appeared on the wall next to him, but this one was broken. He could see his soon-to-be ex-wife behind it, holding a newborn, sleeping baby in her arms. As soon as he looked away, a door appeared next to it.

A woman burst through it, a file in her hand. Warrick could easily tell by her body language and clothing that it was Catherine, but he couldn't see her face; a black cloud surrounding it. She sat down in the empty chair.

"I can't believe you did this to me, Warrick." the woman said. "Why did I have to be the one to do this?"

The woman set the folder down on the table; it fell open to an almost blank page. He couldn't read it from where he sat, but Warrick knew it wasn't a good paper.

"That baby" The woman jabbed her thumb in the direction of Tina, "is yours. Why did you let me break up your marriage? How could you let me come between you and your child?"

Warrick was speechless. He looked back and forth from the woman's blacked out face to Tina's, which grew angrier each time. The next time he looked behind the glass, the baby was gone, in its place a gun. Warrick jumped up, but the woman didn't move, as if she didn't see it, she just kept asking 'Why?'.

Warrick watched as Tina lifted her weapon and shot the woman across from him. Warrick ran towards the bloody woman, who had fallen, instantly dead. He looked back towards Tina, who still had the weapon raised. He saw her pull the trigger…

-

Warrick sat up quickly and looked around. Nick's living room was filled with light, and the clock read nine thirty. Which meant Nick was still at work. He washed up quickly in the bathroom before cleaning up his make-shift bed

He could hardly believe that he had stood up to Tina as bluntly as he had. Now there were only two things left for him to do: File the paperwork, and tell Catherine. He just didn't know how to go ahead with the latter. Warrick knew she would have a problem if it even remotely sounded as if he had left Tina for her. That was only half truthful, but he had no choice other than to tell her.

Warrick picked up his phone from the coffee table, finding a voice mail waiting for him. After viewing who the sender was, Warrick cautiously placed the phone to his ear, listening to the sobs on the other end of the line.

"War, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I didn't mean it. Please come home."

Quickly shutting the phone, Warrick cut off his soon-to-be ex's words. He punched in a familiar number, then listened to the ringer, silently hoping for a voice to interrupt it. After one more ring, Catherine's groggy voice broke through.

"This is Catherine," she said, true to habit.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Warrick asked. Catherine answered after clearing her throat.

"Yeah, Rick, you did. And you better have a damned good reason seeing as it's my day off."

"Well, I was just calling to ask if I could take my favorite red head to lunch today." he replied, feeling better after hearing her usual sarcasm.

"Sure, but she wants a few more minutes of sleep. I'll meet you at the diner, is eleven-thirty good?"

"I'll see you then," Warrick answered with a chuckle. The two said their good-byes and hung up.

Warrick put his phone away, then strode out to his car, keys in hand. He made quick time on the back roads, eventually arriving at this lawyer's office. With a kind word from the assistant, Warrick sat in one of the waiting room chairs.

Apprehension built in his stomach, leaving with the feeling of butterflies when he was finally called back to see his lawyer, but he didn't know why.

"What can I do for you Mr. Brown?" the man asked after shaking Warrick's hand and beckoning for him to sit down.

"I need to know exactly what I need to do to make a divorce final, Rob," Warrick answered.

"Ah, things with Ms. Tina didn't work out too well?" Rob asked the most obvious question. Warrick shook his head.

"Well, I can't say I didn't see that coming." Warrick frowned and Rob continued, "I see couples like you two all the time. Think their in love, but are in it for the wrong reason. That, or one of them gets caught cheating."

Warrick sighed, "A little of both," he admitted. Rob reached into his desk, pulling out the appropriate file. He handed Warrick a thick stack, a paper clip separating them in the middle.

"You fill out this one," Rob explained, pointing to the clipped papers on top. "She fills out these."

Warrick nodded, taking the two stacks. "I'll get them back to you soon."

Both men stood, and again shook hands before Warrick left the office. As soon as he was free from the modern looking building did he realize it was time to head to the diner. He placed the papers into the glove compartment, and then drove towards Frank's Diner, the butterflies once again returning to flutter around his stomach.

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_Hmm...ta ta for now. Please drop a review. Should I continue this, or just drop it?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Burn to Shine**

Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry

Warrick Brown walked through the door of the diner; a bell signaling his arrival. The sound brought him from his daze, forcing him to look around for Catherine. In the booth nearest the door, sat Catherine, watching him intently. He quickly made his way over to her and sat down.

"You look happy," she commented with another hint of sarcasm. Warrick smirked.

"I need coffee," he stated, plain and simple. She pushed her mug across the table, offering him hers. With a look of gratitude, he brought the mug to his lips and swallowed some of the scorching liquid.

"So how's Lindsey doing?" Warrick asked after sliding the mug back over to Catherine. She smiled.

"Well, we aren't fighting, she's not doing too bad in school, all around: pretty good."

"How 'bout with your mother?" Catherine rolled her eyes.

"Now that's a whole other story!"

As Warrick ordered his food, he couldn't help but sneak quick glances at his table-mate, seeing her deep in thought.

"I know you didn't wake me up just for small talk. What's up?" She asked as soon as the waiter walked away.

"Ever the investigator."

"Stop playing games. Answer the question," she demanded, a harsh, yet protective look in her eyes.

Warrick looked at the nicks in the table and smiled nervously.

"I broke it off with Tina," he said softly. She looked only slightly shocked.

"Can't say I didn't see that coming."

"Really?" he asked.

"Like I said before. You two were exact clones of Eddie and I…well other than the abuse thing," she said, now staring at the table. She hadn't shared that with Warrick before.

"Abuse!?" He said rather loudly. Catherine shushed him.

"Sorry, it slipped. We are talking about you, me later." She corrected.

Warrick shook his head, "She was cheating. And pregnant. On top of that there was trust issues and God only knows what else."

"I'm so sorry." There was a look on her face that Warrick just couldn't place.

A silences filled the air until the food had been placed on the table. While both parties picked through their hash browns, Warrick couldn't stand the quiet.

"What's wrong Catherine?" he asked, setting down his fork.

"You…this isn't because of what happened the other day, is it?" She looked hurt, and it pained Warrick to see her that way.

"Well, kinda," he told her. "Look, I know this isn't exactly perfect timing," he reached across the table and placed his hand on hers. Catherine pulled her hand away, placing it into her lap.

"No, Rick. Don't do this to me." It was Warrick's turn to look hurt. "I'm sorry. I just can't be the reason it's over between you. Not the other woman."

"She cheated on me. She's the one who got caught. It's not like we did anything together. Nothing happened."

"I know." she told him. Warrick wasn't quite convinced that she understood.

"Look, Catherine. I had feelings for you long before Tina. She was just a speed bump."

"You married her."

"Okay, so a big speed bump." he retorted. Her expression of hurt hadn't changed.

"I'm sorry, this is your thing. I'll shut up now. Do you need me to do anything?" she asked after shaking her head.

Warrick shook his head, he was confused beyond belief. She knew it was coming, and yet was blaming him for something she wasn't. It just didn't make any sense.

"No. But, uh, thanks for listening. I should get going. Got things to take care of…stuff to do." he put money on the table to cover the entire bill and left without saying goodbye.

Only once he was in the car did he realize what a mistake he had made. Catherine meant the world to him and he had hurt her in some way. He didn't care how, he only wanted to fix it.


	7. Chapter 7

I know it's been forever, but I've been caught up in not having a life. I'm sad to see this end, but it needed to be done. Please enjoy! Beta: Amanda Ruth

* * *

**Burn to Shine**

_Won't you be the new one  
Burn to shine  
I take the blue ones every time  
Walk me down your broken line  
All you have to do is cry  
Yes  
All you have to do is cry_

Warrick stepped up onto the dimly lit porch, raising his hand to knock on the hard wood before him. In one hand he clutched a small bouquet of yellow roses--he had driven all over town in search of this distinct arrangement. Nerves set deep into his stomach when the door opened. Catherine stood half behind the door, half exposed to Warrick's view.

He smiled apologetically, "Can I come in?" he asked, his voice low. Catherine didn't say anything; instead she backed up, swinging the door open completely.

Warrick walked through the door apprehensively, and followed Catherine to the living room couch.

"Bringing me my favorite flowers and looking like a sick puppy doesn't mean everything is going to snap back to normal," she told him, making it perfectly clear that she wasn't just going to roll over.

"I don't want things to go back to normal." She looked intrigued, and Warrick took it as a cue to continue. "How can I make you understand that I never wanted to hurt you?"

Catherine didn't answer, but as she shifted on the sofa, Warrick could see tears welling up in her blue eyes. It took all of his perseverance not to reach out to her.

"Catherine?"

"I just don't understand." For her to admit something like that, Warrick knew, it took a lot of strength.

Warrick sighed and tried his best to explain, "Cath, I've had these feelings for you for as long as I can remember. I don't know why I never acted on them…I guess I was scared…Tina was…" Warrick paused and nervously scratched at his head "I don't even know what she was. What happened the other night with Lindsey, it brought those feelings out again. Nothing happened between us when I was married; even if it had come to that, I would have stopped us. I didn't want to hurt you."

Tears were now slowly falling down Catherine's cheeks. Fearing that he had done the unspeakable yet again, Warrick set the flowers that he had been holding the entire time on the table, used one hand to cup Catherine's face, and wiped away a tear as it rolled down. He hastily removed his hand, looking straight into her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Catherine said, in an understanding tone, "I never realized."

"I understand if you don't feel the same way; I just needed to get it off my chest," Warrick said brokenly. He hadn't thought of the feeling not being mutual until now.

"That's not what I'm saying," she said quickly. "Are you sure about this?"

"One hundred percent," he told her with meaning behind his voice. Warrick leaned closer to her face, watching her eyes and body language carefully. Before he knew it, his lips were on hers; a connection of passion for them both.

As they pulled apart, Warrick placed his arms around Catherine, feeling her lean into him. They stayed that way for several minutes before Catherine pulled back.

"I need to get a vase for those flowers." With that she stood up, grabbed the bouquet from the coffee table and disappeared into the kitchen.

Warrick leaned back on the couch, satisfied that he had made up for the pain he had caused her. All he wanted now was for her to be happy, with him by her side.

When Catherine sat back down she leaned into him as he stared at the blank TV, thinking to himself. "Do you want to stay?" she asked.

Warrick turned and smiled down at her. "On one condition." She looked confused. "Tell me about this 'abuse' thing."

The End


End file.
